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Avocados – Everything You Need To Know

May 26, 2014

Avocados are one of those things that used to intimidate me. How do you tell when avocados are ripe? How do you cut avocados? Heck, is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable? Avocados were just not something I was familiar with. Except for the fact that guacamole is delicious.

So for all of you who stand in the produce aisle confused this is for you! Avocados and everything you need to know!

First of all. Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable?

Avocados are fruits! (Random fact: They are also called an alligator pear.)

How can you tell when an avocado is ripe?

Hold the avocado in the palm of your hand. Gently squeeze. If it is ripe it will be firm but also yield to gentle pressure.

Make sure you avoid fruit with dark blemishes on the skin or over soft fruit.

How do you ripen avocados?

Avocados don’t take long to ripen. Simply place the avocado in a plain brown bag and store at room temperature. It will be ripe in a few days (2-5).

I don’t have 2-5 days!

Put an apple or banana in the bag with the avocado to speed up the process!

Do NOT use the microwave to speed up the process!

Alright. It’s ripe. How do I cut an avocado?

Cutting an avocado is pretty easy! Cut in half lengthwise around the seed. The turn it a quarter, and cut in half again. Remove the seed, but don’t throw it away! Then, starting at one end peel of the skin.

If you have any avocado leftover it is really easy to store. If it is uncut, store them in the refrigerator. If you have already cut it, sprinkle it with lemon, lime or white vinegar. Wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an air tight container.

And just for any of you trivia people out there…

Did you know that California produces 90% of the nation’s avocados and 40% of all of those are grown in San Diego County.

43% of all US households buy avocados.

So there you go! Next time you are at the store craving some guacamole there is no need to be intimidated! Go ahead and pick up a few!

I love avocados and used to eat them daily when they were in season. Then I learned that many doctors have patients eat them to help them gain weight – after that I started limiting my intake of avocados. They are still good but I do not want to gain weight!

I love avocados. You should mention the different types of Avocados because we have Florida avocados here which are bigger, more watery and contain less fat that Hass avocados. It’s a whole different fruit!